Wire carrier for brush-making machines



Feb. 3, 1931. c. E. FISHER WIRE CARRIER FOR BRUSH MAKING MACHINES Filed Oct. 3, 1929 Patented Feb. 3, 1931 NT QFFICE CHARLES E. FISHER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIG-NOR TO THE FISHER AUTO- MATIC BRUSH MACHINE COMPANY, INC., OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORA- TION OF MARYLAND WIRE CARRIERFOR BRUSH-MARIN G MACHINES Application filed October 3, 1929. Serial No. 397,072.

This invention relates to brush-making machines of the kind shown in my Patent No. 1,512,588; dated October 21, 1924, and more particularly to improvements in the vise which carries the wire lengths from the wire feeding and cutting devices to the stapleforming and tuft-setting devices.

In the patent referred to, a reciprocating slide carries a vise comprising stationary and movable jaws, with means for mechanically locking the lower jaw in open position while the vise is returning from the stapleforming devices to the position where it receives a wire length from the feeding and cutting devices, when the jaw is released and moved by a spring to clamp the'wir'e against the upper jaw.

In accordance with the present invention, the jaw locking and releasing mechanism is dispensed with, and the jaws are so formed that as the vise approaches its rearmost position the wire projecting from the feeding mechanism engages a cam surface on the upper jaw whichforces the wire against the lower jaw, and the latter is depressed by the wire against the action of the spring, to permit the wire to enter between the jaws as the vise moves to its final position.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the vise which is shown at the inward limit of its move ment where it receives the wire length from the feeding and cuttin devices, parts of these devices being shown;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the vise at the outward limit of itsmovement with a wire length in position to be acted upon by the staple guides and driver;

Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the vise opened by the descent of the staple guides and the wire length bent into the form of a staple at the time when the vise starts to recede;

Fig.4 is a similar view, showing the vise close to the inward limit of its movement with a wire lengh serving to open the jaws; and,

Figs. 5 and 6 are side views of the lower ends of the staple guides and driver illustrating the operations of forming the staple.

Referring to the drawings, a indicates a bracket having a horizontal guideway 1, in

which is arranged a slide 2 which carries the vise. The vise comprises a bar 3, which is fixed to the slide, and a bar 4 which is pivoted between its ends to the slide upon a pivot pin 5. These bars extend horizontally beyond the slide and their outer ends are pr0- videdwith jaws 7' and 7", respectively; A spring 6 is connected to the rear part of the lower bar isand to pin 7 on a bracket 8, which depends from the slide, and this spring pulls downwardly upon the rear part of the bar 4- and tends to constantly press the lower jaw j into contact with the upper jaw j of the vise.

The bars are spaced apart sulhciently to allow a limited rocking movement of the lower bar and also to permit of the wire lengths to be fed between the bars. The face 9 of the lower jaw of the vise is substantially straight from front to rear and somewhat longer than the vise of the upper jaw. The upper jaw 1' has a transverse notch 10 in its face, to receivethe wire, and the real-edge of the jaw slopes upwardly and rearwardly from its face, indicated at 11, to form a cam surface opposite the rear part of the lower jaw face;

The wire feeding and cutting devices and the staple guides arethe same in my petent referred to and only parts of these mechanisms are shown in the drawing of the present application. The wire or from which the staples are made is fed from a reel intermittently by feed wheels 12 and 13, the latter operated by a ratchet wheel 14. The wire passes through a die-block 15 into the space between the bars 3 and twhile the vise is in its forward position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, and when the vise is close to the limit of its inward movement, the cam surface 11 on the rear edge of the upper jaw causes the wire to bear upon the rear part of the lower jaw and the bar 4, carrying the latter aw, is rocked against the tension of the spring 6 so that the vise jaws separate, and as the jaws move to their final position the wire enters the groove 10 in the face of the upper jaw, where it is held by the tension of the spring 6. The knife 16 then descends and severs the wire, leaving a length w between the jaws.

In Fig. 1, the slide is in its rearmost position and the wire length w is between the jaws. The vise then moves to its outermost position, shown in Fig. 2, and the wire length is carried into line with staple guides 17 which descend, as shown in Fig. 3, and bend the wire length over the lower jaw which forms an anvil. This movement opens the vise which immediately returns to its rearmost position and the wire, now bent into the form of a staple, is retained by the staple guides as the lower jaw of the vise moves backward from the guides. The staple guides carry the staple downward to the brush block and a staple driving rod 18 drives it into the block while the vise returns to its innermost position, and as the vise jaws approach the latter position the wire w, held by the feeding devices and bearing upon the cam surface 11 of the upper jaw, causes the lower jaw to be depressed so that the wire may pass into the notch 10 in the upper jaw, as before described. The wire is then cut of]? and the jaws move forward with the wire length to the staple guides, as before.

\Vhat I claim is:

In a brushmaking machine, stapling mechanism comprising a horizontally reciprocable slide, a vise on the slide comprising an upper member fixed to the slide and a lower member pivoted to the slide, said members projecting horizontally beyond the slide and having opposed jaws at their outer ends, the aw on the lower member having a smooth face and the jaw on the upper memher having a transverse notch in its face to receive a wire length and having also a cam surface at its rear end sloping upwardly and rearwardly from its face and opposed to the face of the lower jaw, a spring constantly tending to rock the pivoted member so that its jaw will engage the jaw on the stationary member, means for holding a wire length transversely between the members while the slide is moving to its innermost position, whereby the wire length will be forced by said cam surface against the lower jaw, causing depression of the latter and permitting the wire to enter between the jaws, and staple guides adapted to bend said length over the lower jaw when the slide is in its outermost position.

In testimony whereof I am my signature.

CHARLES E. FISHER. 

